Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Environmental Engineering and Earth Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Kevin Finneran
Committee Member
Dr. Ronald Falta
Committee Member
Dr. David Ladner
Abstract
Understanding degradation of carbon tetrachloride in-situ is vital for many remediation projects across the world, yet conclusive evidence of its feasibility is lacking in previous studies.
The main objective of this research is to assess the potential for carbon tetrachloride attenuation by biological, abiotic, and combined processes in a Fe(III)-reducing aquifer. In doing so, it assesses the effect of pH and stoichiometric ratio on abiotic degradation of carbon tetrachloride using various reducing agents, evaluates iron-mediated versus direct biotic degradation of carbon tetrachloride using pure cultures under resting and growth conditions, and characterizes the effects of culture strain, electron acceptors and their stoichiometric ratio, and the use of pure cultures versus an enrichment culture on carbon tetrachloride degradation.
The results of this research suggest carbon tetrachloride is not significantly abiotically reduced by aqueous ferrous iron or ferrous iron sorbed to amorphous ferric hydroxide. The results also suggest that a resting cell suspension of S. oneidensis was not able to directly reduce carbon tetrachloride under aerobic or anoxic conditions as well as under Fe(III)-reducing conditions using either soluble ferric iron or amorphous ferric hydroxide as a terminal electron acceptor. In addition, the results suggest that some growing pure cultures may be able to reduce carbon tetrachloride under anoxic conditions using soluble ferric iron as a terminal electron acceptor, and a growing enrichment culture from Lake Hartwell may be able to reduce carbon tetrachloride under Fe(III)-reducing conditions with electron donor, electron acceptor, and electron shuttle amendments.
Recommended Citation
Rogers, Adam, "Evaluating (Bio)degradation of Carbon Tetrachloride in Fe(III)-Reducing Environments" (2025). All Theses. 4566.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4566